In Canada, at anchor, you are under no legal obligation to open the hatch if a cop comes. A friend was arrested by mounties for impaired driving while sitting in a restaurant, because she ' might drive." Several subsequent severe beatings by mounties were given ,to dicourage her from pleading not guilty.

Uhm... show me the regs, brent, because my understanding of canadian coastie policy is a boarding is a boarding, whether it is for a light check, a gear check, or a straw-blow. Sure, you don't have to "open the hatch" you just have to accept that you may be impounded, towed, or otherwise detained, since a failure to allow boarding is an offense in and of itself that also is probable cause for a warrant to be issued.
A drunk friend in a bar arrsted by the RCMP and a boarding of a boat by state cops or coast guard or game wardens are apples and oranges, brent, as you should know, being a lifelong liveaboard.

It's 5 o'clock somewhere:

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